The Spiritual Combat is a famous classic on the strategy for achieving spiritual perfection and salvation. First published in 1589, it was the favourite book of the great St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Doctor of the Church and master of spiritual life; he carried a copy in his pocket for 18 years, read from it every day and recommended it to everyone under his direction.

Vigorous, realistic and full of keen insight into human nature, The Spiritual Combat consists of 66 short chapters based on the maxim that in the spiritual life one must either “Fight or die.”

It shows the Christian how to combat his passions and vices with an intelligent method, in order to arrive at victory, rather than running around blindly beating the air. Fr Scupoli explains how to concentrate one’s energies in order to make constant progress in acquiring virtue, with particularly specific advice for overcoming the vices of impurity and sloth.

The Spiritual Combat is a book of time-tested strategy for achieving spiritual victory; it is a great guide on which to form one’s soul and launch it firmly on the way of solid virtue.

The Spiritual Combat is one of the all-time greatest and best-known classics on the spiritual life and is a book that will inspire and instruct today just as it has for over 400 years.